Heretic
Movie, 2024, The 2020s, Set in Mr. Reed's house
Heretic is #34 of 37 in release order and #34 of 37 in chronological order in the A24.
The story
Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Heretic recap
Heretic (2024) follows two young Mormon missionaries who knock on the door of a polite, well-read man in Colorado and find themselves locked in his house. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods write and direct. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), sharp and sure of herself, and the sheltered, earnest Sister Paxton (Chloe East) agree to come in because Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) says his wife is baking a blueberry pie in the kitchen. He knows their scripture better than they do and walks them through his theory that every religion copies an older one, using Monopoly and versions of a pop song as examples. The pie smell turns out to be a candle, the front door is on a timer, and Reed offers them two doors to leave by, one marked Belief and one Disbelief. Both lead to the same basement, where a frail woman eats a poisoned pie, dies and appears to come back. Elder Kennedy (Topher Grace) comes looking for them and is sent away. The film stands alone.
Heretic ending explained
Heretic ends with Paxton escaping and Reed dead. When Barnes moves to attack him, Reed slashes her throat and pulls a supposed microchip from her arm; Paxton sees it is a contraceptive implant and works out that the resurrection was a trick with a second woman. Crawling through the tunnels, she finds cages of starving women Reed holds to prove his thesis that religion is about control. She stabs Reed and he stabs her, but Barnes, still alive, crushes his skull with a board before dying. Paxton climbs out through a vent, and a butterfly lands on her hand, then vanishes.
Post-credits scenes
No. Heretic has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Heretic
Heretic is streaming on Hulu, Kanopy, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free, Plex, and Fawesome in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes 89%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Civil War, before MaXXXine.
- Chronological order: after Civil War, before MaXXXine.
Cast
- Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed
- Sophie Thatcher as Sister Barnes
- Chloe East as Sister Paxton
- Topher Grace as Elder Kennedy
- Elle Young as Prophet
- Julie Lynn-Mortensen as Pedestrian
- Haylie Hansen as Teenager
- Elle McKinnon as Teenager
- Hanna Huffman as Teenager
- Anesha Bailey as Neighbor
- Miguel Castillo as Neighbor
- Stephanie Lavigne as Believer
Directed by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods.